Up to 40% of Delhi’s population would not be entitled to avail of the commodities provided by the PDS by Jan as part of an innovative measure planned by Delhi government.

Up to 40 per cent of Delhi’s population would not be entitled to avail of the commodities provided by the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) by January as part of an innovative measure planned by the Delhi government to streamline the system.

“It (price rise) is bad for those who really live from hand to mouth and for that, by January, we are bringing out a scheme in which we are going to take all of us out of the PDS,” Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told PTI.

As part of the scheme that comes ahead of the assembly polls next year, people with a certain minimum income would be given ration cards stating that they are not entitled to rations. “You will get a card saying not entitled to rations because you are over minimum income limit,” Dikshit said. The government is working out the minimum income limit under the scheme.

“Around 30-40 per cent of the population will be removed from the PDS this way,” she said.

Dikshit said the scheme would ensure the poor get foodgrains under the scheme and stop black-marketing of the commodities given under PDS. “It could be tough to push this plan through but it is necessary as affluent people do not go to the ration shop and their share of foodgrains is siphoned off to mills. We have to stop it somewhere,” she said.

The plan is expected to be ready in the next 10-15 days and Dikshit said she was hopeful that it would meet with cooperation from all quarters.